Current Sermon Series

What happens when An educated medical doctor and historian conducts a lengthy investigation on the life of a man who claimed to be God? The Gospel of Luke.

Working through the book of Luke passage by passage, line by line, this series unpacks the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes the good news of the gospel and its implications on our daily lives.

Luke articulates Jesus’ story as accessible to the unknowns, the outcast, the lost, and the hopeless. For example, Jesus recounts the stunning embrace of the returned prodigal and embittered response of his “righteous” brother, displaying his desire for irreligious and religious alike to turn to him in repentance. We see Jesus’ invitation to Zacchaeus—the hated tax collector eavesdropping on Jesus from the outside—and the grumbling response of the crowd on the inside: “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” We witness Jesus look with compassion on a reviled yet repentant criminal hanging on the cross next to his. Despite being the final moments before his death, Jesus takes time to give the criminal an astonishing promise—a scandal that remains today. Examples like these abound throughout the Gospel of Luke. In short, Jesus constantly challenges Israel’s “insiders” by highlighting “outsiders” transformed by the gospel. He desires transformation in both camps.

As an educated urban Gentile, Luke himself would have been familiar with the local synagogue. Given his understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, he must have listened in as an outsider for years. But growing up he would have quickly learned the limits of his access to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Being included in the great story of God’s people was impossible for someone like him. Yet the message of Jesus transformed Luke, too, moving him from the “outside in” to a full-fledged member of God’s community.

The implications of Jesus’ message directly affect those on the outside looking in. It’s also a message deeply challenging to “insiders,” designed to reveal cracked foundations upon which many have built their religious lives. When outsiders turn to God, insiders are pressed to reevaluate the biblical story and reexamine the foundation of their relationship with God.

— The Gospel Coalition, "See the Gospel of Luke from the Outside In" https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/see-the-gospel-of-luke-from-the-outside-in

Music inspired by Luke

"Songs for the Book of Luke is an album by the church, for the church. The songwriters and musicians on this album all serve in congregations across the country, from New York to St. Louis to Seattle, to Dallas and many places in between. These songs have roots in the Scriptures (all of these songs are inspired by the Book of Luke) and seek, above all else, to glorify God and serve his people... Most of all, we hope that... you’ll be refreshed and reminded once again of the richness of the Book of Luke and the glory of our Savior." For more information, click here to visit their website. The "Songs for the Book of Luke" by the Gospel Coalition Spotify playlist is available below, or directly at this link. (Sign-up may be required. Spotify is a free online streaming music platform that allows users to listen to songs on demand over the Internet while still paying artists for the use of these tracks.)